Autographic register



@en 2, im. H. J. WAECHTER wf UTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Filed April 24, 1939 iml mg jg INV ENTOR.

` WMfIMATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNH'ED STATES PATENT @ENCEAUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Harry J. Waechter, Mount Healthy, Ohio, assignor toPaul Benninghofen and Fritz G. Diesbach, both of Hamilton, Ohio, astrustees Application April 24, 1939, Serial No. 269,646

4 Claims. (Cl. 282-12) This invention relates to improvements inautographic registers or manifolding machines particularly formanifolding and dispensing shipping or sales bills and the like. In suchtypes of machines, the shipping or sales bills are incorporated instrips of paper either wound on reels or folded into packets anddispensed in definite measured proportions corresponding to the lengthof the individual shipping bill or sales slip. Thereafter the bills orslips are severed from the strips. These continuous strips of paper orcontinuous form stationery are fed from a supply compartment upon andover a writing table or platen. The strips also contain filing holeslocated in the spacing between the forms and adjacent the tear-off linesestablished across the sheets. These apertures are utilized in themachine for permitting the withdrawal of the strips in measured lengths,or lengths representing the full length of each printed form. They arealso utilized in the operation of aligning and registering the printedforms of the severed strips upon the writing table for making theentries and manifolding and holding the same in position while makingthe entries.

The present invention, more specifically identified, is directed to thattype of autographic register described and claimed in Patent No.2,133,792,

granted to me on October 18, 1938. In the autographic registers of thepast, as well as that disclosed in the patent above mentioned, theapertures or filing holes have been engaged by pins or detents. The pinsarrest the feed of the superposed strips and align the same byregistration with the aligned apertures in the superposed paper.

In my previous patent, a register is disclosed in which the striparresting means, namely a pin, is displaceable by means of a pencil. Theoperator, upon the completion of the step of lling out the form, usesthe pencil, which is conveniently in the hand of the operator. Themachine has been arranged so as to permit forward feed or projection ofthe strips through the same instrumentality, namely the pencil. In otherwords, the strips are released and projected by the simple manipulationof a pencil or a like instrumentality.

In the first step of the operation, the pin is depressed by actualengagement of the pencil therewith, and, in the second step, isprojected by moving the pencil forwardly While in position traversingthe apertures.

It has been the object in the present invention to provide a register ofthe character of that shown in the patent mentioned above, whichincorporates two or more aligning pins respectively cooperating Withlaterally spaced openings in each of theform lengths of the superposedstrips, wherein depression of one of these pins by means of a pencil orthe like, will result yin the depression of the other pin. Thereupon,the strips may be advanced or projected beyond the register so as to beconveniently grasped.

It has been a further object in this invention to provide an arrangementof aligning pins, in which one of the pins provides means forcooperation with the depressing means, for aiding in the engagement ofthe depressing means with the pin and for assisting in the forwardmovement of the depressing means. Furthermore, it has been found thatthe pins have returnedor reengaged the apertures as the pencil has beenmoved forwardly for the feed. That is to say, as the pencil leaves thepin, the pin may slip into the aperture before the paper is advancedsuciently to clear the aperture. Accordingly, provision has been madefor a pin extension or way upon which the pencil may slide and hold thepin down until the apertures havecleared the pin.

Further, it has been an object to form the pins wherein they have a moreefficient aperture aligning action.

These objects have been achieved in a structure wherein the pins aremounted on interconnected levers, so that a depressing action on onewill have the same effect on the other. The arrangement includes springmeans for causing the pins to return uniformly to strip stoppingposition when released.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully apparent from adescription of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the forward end of theregister.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3, Figure 2, showing thedepressible pins in strip arresting position.

Figure 4 is a view showing the pins depressed for releasing the strips.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line zi- 5, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of Figure 2,showing a pin in strip arresting position.

Figure 7 is a View taken similar to Figure 6,

but showing the pin depressed by means of a pencil.

Figure 8 is a view taken similar to Figure 6, but showing the stripsprojected by forward manipulation of the pencil.

Figure 9 is a sectional View taken similar to Figure 6, but showing themechanism in position at the last stage of strip advance just before thepins rise into the apertures for arresting strip movement.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in the drawing, a casing isprovided, including a writing table and a storage chamber. Thesuperposed strips are disposed in the chamber, from which they are drawnacross the table to the front thereof. Each form has a pair of laterallyspaced openings near its juncture with the neXt form. These aperturesare adapted to be aligned with the stop pins. The stop pins are mountedin the casing below the table in position for traversing the aligned orregistered apertures of the superpcsed strips, for arresting movement ofthe strips and aligning the same.

The operator uses the pencil, which is conveniently in his or her handafter filling in the form, and very quickly displaces one of the pins byengagement of the pencil against the pin and through the openings in thepaper. Thereupon, without retracting the pencil, a forward or lateralforce is imparted to the pencil, thus feeding the superposed stripsforwardly until their forward margins may be grasped for pulling thesuperposed sales slips to their tear-olf positions.

Referring to the drawing, the is generally indicated at it. The casingconsists of a base portion Il, side walls l2, and end walls i3. In thisdisclosure, the strips Eil are supplied in packet form or are zig-Zag,folded on the severance lines l5 defining the sales slip forms. A platenor writing table it is disposed across the top of the compartment. Thisplaten is hinged at the forward end of the compartment on hing-e pinsI7, which traverse the inwardly turned side flanges i8. The rear edge ofthe platen is rounded to provide a circular edge i9, around which themanifold paper passes in its movement from the compartment along thetable to the forward end thereof. The writing platen includes shortguide flanges 29 at the respective opposite side edges thereof. Theseflanges overhang th-e pack of paper as it slides along the top of theplaten. The platen rests upon lugs 2l struck inwardly in the side walls.

The carbon paper E2 is mounted in the disclosed structure in the samemanner as in. my

previous Patent No. 2,111,825 'granted to me on March 22, 1988.Generally speaking, it is held against displacement between the stripsby means of retainer strips 23 disposed across the rear edge of theplaten and anchored in the side flanges 24 of the compartment.

At the issue end of the register, a retaining plate 25, providing thetear-off edge, is disclosed. This plate is disposed across the for- Thesuperposed strips are arrested by means of the detents or stop pins 28located at the forward end of the compartment. These detent pins arespring urged upwardly, so that normally they project above the top ofthe platen or table. Therefore, they immediately enter into the openingsin the paper as these openings register with them.

Each pin is mounted on the forwardly projecting flange 29 of a pivotedarm 3S. The support for these arms is a plate or septum 3|, disposedparallel to and spaced from the front wall of the compartment. Thisplate includes a base liange 32, attached to the floor of thecompartment. Each arm is pivotally mounted or hinged on a pin 33 at theupper corner of the plate. These pins are fixed to the plate. Thus, thearms are disposed and slide along the front face of the plate as thepins are depressed. A coil spring 34, under tension, has its respectiveterminals attached to pins 35-35, xed to the respective levers andprojecting forwardly therefrom.

The levers are angular; that is to say, they have a portion 36 extendingdownwardly from the pivot point, and a pin carrying portion 31 extendingsubstantially at right angles from the downwardly extending portion 33across the face of the septum. The pins, between which the springs areanchored, are located adjacent the lowermost points of the levers, sothat the tendency under the action of the spring is to rock the leversupwardly. Upward movement of the arms is limited by engagement with lugs38 struck from the support plate and projecting across the path ofmovement of the arms just beyond the pin carrying flanges 29 thereof.

The respective levers are offset appropriately so that the pin carryingportion, or outer end, of one rides behind the pivoted portion of theother, but clear of its pivot pin. The central portions of the leversmay be held in sliding engagement by means of a pin 33 xed in the outerlever and traversing an arcuate slot 40 in the inner lever. The head endof the pin lies against the inner face of the inner lever and moves in aclearance slot 4l in the supporting plate. Since the pins 28 are fixedto the outer ends of arms, which have a swinging length correspondingsubstantially to the width of the register, the amount of swingingmovement of the pins is negligible. Therefore, the pins move downwardlysubstantially vertically.

The pins project upwardly through clearance openings d2 in the platenand in the retainer plate. The clearance opening at one side is in theform of a slot i3 extending forwardly from the pin. The other opening 42is of such shape as to provide clearance for vertical movement of thepin relative to the plate 2 5 and the platen. Thus, the particular pin28a is accessible from above, and clearance is afforded for permittingthe pencil to be moved forwardly out of engagement with the pin, andcarrying the paper with it. This pin 28a, designed for engagement by thepencil lor like depressing means, is recessed as at d to receive thepoint of the pencil and to center the pencil, and is open at its forwardend to provide a throat 15, through which the pencil may be moved as itleaves the pin forwardly.

Also, the flange, which, carries the pin, is eX- tended forwardly toprovide an extension 46, or a way upon which the pencil may be slid asthe paper is projected. This extension prevents the pencil from leavingthe pin element before the pins are clear of the apertures. This isespecially true if the pins are depressed only a slight amount. The pinis held down during the forward movement of the pencil as the Pencilslides along the way 46,

Both of the pins are tapered irregularly; that is, their back surfacesare slightly inclined or overhanging, so that the pin has a hookingaction backwardly upon the paper, whereas the side surfaces and forwardsurface are tapered or ared outwardly so as to have an aligning actionas the pin comes up into the apertures.

Assuming that the register has been loaded with superposed strips ofpaper and the strips advanced so as to register superposed apertureswith the respective pins (see Figure 6), the following operations willensue. The operator fills out the form or sales slip with some writinginstrumentality such as a pencil. Upon the completion of the operationof lling in the form, the pencil is then utilized as the paper releasingand advancing means. Toward this end, the top of the pin is concave, asdescribed heretofore, and, therefore, eiciently receives the pencilpoint. The operator depresses the pin by a downward movement of thepencil, and, thereupon, causes the end of the pencil to traverse theopenings in the strips (see Figure '7). The ordinary pencil is admirablyadaptable for this purpose, since it has a tapered end.

A short forward movement of the paper is then brought about by movingthe pencil forwardly, that is, traversing the slots in the retainerplate and platen. This operation definitely aligns the strips, since theforward margins of the apertures will be engaged by the pencil (seeFigure 8) as the forward movement of the pencil is effected.

This short forward movement projects the forward ends of the stripsbeyond the line of the register, where they can be conveniently graspedand the strips drawn forwardly (see Figure 9). The forward movementcontinues until the pins rise into the necessary set of apertures andthereby arrest the forward feed at a predetermined point. The projectedsales slips can then be severed or torn off along the front end of theretainer plate. The machine need not include limitation of the forwardmovement of the pencil, since, once it is in the apertures, it can bemoved forwardly the full length of the form, for completely dischargingthe sales slips. Towards this result, the slot 43 should extend entirelythrough the forward edge of the plate 25.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An autographic register comprising a table adapted to receivesuperposed strips of printed forms, said strips having tear-off linesformed between printed forms, apertures in each form, said aperturesspaced apart laterally, detents engageable within aligned apertures ofsuperposed strips, said table including a slot traversed by one detent,said detent traversing said slot, including a recessed top surface forreceiving and centering the point of a tapered instrumentality, and anextension disposed forwardly from the base of said detent and forming away across which an instrumentality inserted through the openings in thestrip may slide from engagement with the detent.

2. An auto-graphic register comprising a platen over which a pluralityof superposed strips of paper containing printed sales slip forms may bedrawn, depressible pins mounted beneath the platen and .engageablethrough registrable openings in the strips for stopping the forward feedof the strips at predetermined points, the only means for depressing thepins being engagement with the top of one of the pins itself, a taperedinstrumentality engageable with the top of said pin adapted to traversethe apertures and move the paper forward by movement of theinstrumentality while in the apertures, means on the table for limitingforward movement of the instrumentality, laterally disposed pivoted armscarrying said detent pins, said arms crossed centrally of the register,and a coil spring under tension between the levers constantly urging thedetent pins upwardly.

3. An autographic register comprising a casing providing a writing tableover which a strip of paper is drawn for dispensing sections thereof,said strip divided into sections by transverse tear lines, each of whichhas laterally spaced apertures near the forward end thereof adjacent thetear-off line, depressible pins movably mounted for perpendicularmovement relative to the writing table and for engaging said aperturesin the strip when brought into registry therewith, said table includingclearance openings for said pins, and pivoted levers carrying said pins,said levers interconnected, whereby depression of one depresses theother for clearing the pins relative to the apertures and one of saidclearance openings being 4extended forwardly for the purpose ofpermitting forward movement of an instrumentality engaging one of thepins for causing forward movement of the paper.

4. An autographic register comprising a table adapted to receive a stripof printed forms and including an aperture, said strip having tear-offlines formed between printed forms, at least one aperture in each form,a detent pin projected upwardly through said aperture and engageablewithin apertures in the strip successively registering therewith, saiddetent pin including a top surface formed for engagement by the point ofa pencil or the like and an extension disposed forwardly from saiddetent and forming a` way across which the pencil may slide as thepencil is moved forwardly.

HARRY J. WAECHTER.

